Summer Citrus Series: Berry Citrus Shortcake Recipes

White Citrus Cake

Yield: 2 (8") Cakes

Granulated Sugar 2 ¼ cups

Unsalted Butter, softened 2 ½ sticks

Safflower Oil 2 ounces

Cake Flour, sifted 4 ½ cups

Baking Powder 2 tablespoons

Salt 1/8 tsp.

Large Egg Whites 6

Milk 1 ½ cup

Citrus Zest 3 Tbsp.

Citrus Oil 1 tsp.

Vanilla Extract 1 tsp.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 177 degrees Celsius.

2. Prepare pan(s) by cutting parchment round(s), then spray pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. Place parchment into pan(s) and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Evenly disperse cooking spray by going around the sides and bottom of pan(s) with a paper towel.

4. Place 1/4 cup of all purpose flour into the pan(s). Rotate pan(s) while simultaneously lightly tapping the pan with hand so that a thin layer of flour coats the entire pan(s). Turn pan upside down and rap sharply onto a paper towel to remove excess flour. Set aside pan(s).

5. Optional Step: Place the eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of hot tap water to bring the eggs up to room temperature. Heat milk in the microwave at full power for 20 seconds or on the stovetop until room temperature. The theory is that the room temperature eggs and milk help to create a more homogenous cake batter resulting in a better quality of cake (no sugar or butter clumps and no uneven baking) once baked.

6. To soften butter place in microwave and run for 30 seconds at 20 seconds’ check consistency of butter. Repeat until butter is softened.

7. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

8. Combine the sugar and the zest in the mixer bowl and combine on speed 6 until the sugar is very fragrant, about one minute.

9. Place the butter and safflower oil into bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment run the mixer for 10 seconds to combine the ingredients.

10. Add the sugar to the bowl. Beat the butter at speed 6 for 3 to 4 minutes or until light in color and fluffy in appearance. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

11. Once the butter is creamed add in the vanilla extract and lemon oil on speed 2 until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

12. Add the eggs all at once on speed 2 to the butter mixture. Blend for 2 minutes on speed 6. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula before and after each addition.

13. Next add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the milk on speed 2. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

14. Stop mixer after each addition and scrape bowl with a spatula.

15. Weigh the batter equally into the pan(s) using a scale to make sure that each cake bakes for the same amount of time. As the batch size will vary start at 4 ounce for each pan and adjust the final amounts according to the remaining batter. Or if you feel more comfortable divide the batter into the pans by eye.

16. Bake cake for 30 minutes or until it is lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

17. After 15 minutes of baking rotate the cake pans in the oven.

18. Cool cakes for 15 minutes in pan(s). Then remove from pans and cool completely.

19. Wrap cakes with plastic and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

Yield: 4-5 cups

Large Egg Whites 4

Granulated Sugar 1 ¼ cups (approx. 8.9 ounces or 251 grams)

Butter, softened 3 sticks (1 ½ cups or 340 grams/12 ounces)

Fresh Strawberries, rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped 1 ½ cups or 8 ounces

Note: 8 ounces of Fresh Blueberries can be substituted for the Strawberries

1. Fill a medium sized pot with 1 inch of water, cover and put on a low medium flame.

2. Rinse and dry the berries. Remove green tops and the center core from strawberries. Cut the strawberries into quarters. Put the berries into a food processor. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

3. To soften butter place in microwave and run for 1 minute at 20 percent power. After 1 minute rotate and check consistency of butter. Repeat until butter is softened.

4. Separate egg whites in to a mixer bowl.

5. Add sugar to the egg whites. By hand quickly mix with whisk attachment or by hand with a handheld whisk to combine.

6. Remove the cover from the pan. Place bowl with whites on top of the pan and gently stir the mixture by hand with the whisk attachment/ handheld whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar has completely dissolved.

7. Return the mixer bowl to the mixer (or with an electric mixer) and whip whites with whisk attachment starting at the lowest speed and gradually moving up to the highest speed it should take about 10 minutes. The characteristics to look for are, the meringue is thick, a solid white color, shiny, has increased in size 3 to 4 times and the mixing bowl is about or slightly below body temperature.

8. Switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Add butter to the meringue in 6 parts on speed 4.

9. Once all the butter is added continue to mix on speed 6.

10. The mixture will first resemble melted ice cream. Then it will look like cottage cheese. Continue mixing until the buttercream comes together and appears light and fluffy. The whole process takes about 4 to 6 minutes.

11. Add the pureed strawberries to buttercream on speed 4 until completely combined.

12. The buttercream can be used immediately or placed in an air tight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

Yield: 3-4 cups

Large Egg Whites 4

Cream of Tartar 1-2 sprinkles

Granulated Sugar ¾ cup (approx. 5.3 ounces/150 grams)

Butter, softened 3 sticks (1 ½ cups or 12 ounces/340 grams)

Fresh berries (raspberry or blackberry) 6 ounces

1. Fill a medium sized pot with 1 inch of water, cover and put on a low medium flame.

2. Rinse and dry berries. Then set aside.

3. Place egg whites, (an optional step is to add in the cream of tartar to the egg whites), into a clean mixer bowl.

4. Add sugar to the egg whites. By hand quickly mix with whisk attachment or by hand with a handheld whisk to combine.

5. Remove the cover from the pan. Place bowl with whites on top of the pan and gently stir the mixture by hand with the whisk attachment/handheld whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar has completely dissolved.

6. Return the mixer bowl to the mixer (or with an electric mixer) and whip whites with whisk attachment starting at the lowest speed and gradually moving up to the highest speed it should take about 10 minutes. The characteristics to look for are, the meringue is thick, a solid white color, shiny, has increased in size 3 to 4 times and the mixing bowl is about or slightly below body temperature.

7. Switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Add butter to the meringue in 6 parts on speed 4.

8. Once all the butter is added continue to mix on speed 6.

9. The mixture will first resemble melted ice cream. Then it will look like cottage cheese. Continue mixing until the buttercream comes together and appears light and fluffy. The whole process takes about 4 to 6 minutes.

10. Finally add in the fresh berries and mix until combined on speed 6.

11. The buttercream can be used immediately or placed in an air tight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

Yield: 3-4 cups

Large Egg Whites 4

Cream of Tartar 1-2 sprinkles

Granulated Sugar ¾ cup (approx. 5.3 ounces/150 grams)

Butter, softened 3 sticks (1 ½ cups or 12 ounces/340 grams)

Vanilla Extract or other Flavoring 1 teaspoon or 4 grams

1. Fill a medium sized pot with 1 inch of water, cover and put on a low medium flame.

2. Place egg whites, (an optional step is to add in the cream of tartar to the egg whites), into a clean mixer bowl.

3. Add sugar to the egg whites. By hand quickly mix with whisk attachment or by hand with a handheld whisk to combine.

4. Remove the cover from the pan. Place bowl with whites on top of the pan and gently stir the mixture by hand with the whisk attachment/handheld whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar has completely dissolved.

5. Return the mixer bowl to the mixer (or with an electric mixer) and whip whites with whisk attachment starting at the lowest speed and gradually moving up to the highest speed it should take about 10 minutes. The characteristics to look for are, the meringue is thick, a solid white color, shiny, has increased in size 3 to 4 times and the mixing bowl is about or slightly below body temperature.

6. Switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Add butter to the meringue in 6 parts on speed 4.

7. Once all the butter is added continue to mix on speed 6.

8. The mixture will first resemble melted ice cream. Then it will look like cottage cheese. Continue mixing until the buttercream comes together and appears light and fluffy. The whole process takes about 4 to 6 minutes.

9. Finally add the vanilla extract or other flavoring on speed 2.

10. The buttercream can be used immediately or placed in an air tight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.​

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